Buffalo’s Rookie Duo: Deone Walker and Maxwell Hairston Making Noise in Year One
The Buffalo Bills took a couple of big swings in the 2025 NFL Draft - and it’s already looking like they connected on both.
Let’s start with Deone Walker. The 6-foot-7, 331-pound defensive tackle is showing exactly why he was once viewed as a potential first-rounder. Despite sliding to the fourth round, No. 109 overall, Walker hasn’t just earned playing time - he’s become a key cog in one of the AFC’s top defenses.
In his rookie season, Walker has appeared in all 16 games, starting 15 of them for an 11-5 Bills team that’s headed to the playoffs. His stat line?
A rock-solid 39 tackles, eight tackles for loss, four quarterback hits, one sack, and a fumble recovery. But the numbers only tell part of the story.
Walker’s impact shows up in the way he consistently clogs running lanes, draws double teams, and forces offenses to adjust.
He’s not just a space-eater - he’s a disruptor.
That kind of production has Walker firmly in the mix for the NFL’s All-Rookie Team, and some analysts aren’t waiting for the official list to make their picks. ESPN’s Ben Solak named Walker to his personal All-Rookie First Team, praising both his physical tools and his motor.
“Buffalo struck gold,” Solak noted, pointing to Walker’s ability to take on two blockers, create tackles for loss, and even flash as a pass rusher - something that wasn’t a consistent part of his game at Kentucky. And when a guy that size gets his hands in the air, quarterbacks take notice. He’s already making life tougher in the passing lanes, too.
But Walker isn’t the only rookie from Kentucky making waves in Buffalo.
Maxwell Hairston, the Bills’ first-round pick at No. 30 overall, also earned a spot on Solak’s All-Rookie Second Team. The 5-foot-11 cornerback has been a rotational piece in the secondary, appearing in 10 games and starting two. In limited snaps, he’s managed 15 tackles, five pass breakups, and two interceptions - showing flashes of the ball-hawking instincts that made him a top-30 pick.
Hairston’s game is built around speed, ball skills, and tracking ability - the kind of traits you want in a corner who can shadow top receivers. He’s still learning the ropes and missed valuable time in training camp, which has led to some inconsistency.
But the talent is obvious. He’s already shown he can make plays on the ball, and once he adds more strength and polish, he has the upside to become a true No. 1 corner.
Solak acknowledged that Hairston just edged out a couple of more physical corners - Nohl Williams (Chiefs) and Azareye’h Thomas (Jets) - but pointed to Hairston’s splash plays as the difference-maker. And in a deep rookie cornerback class, that’s saying something.
Will Johnson (Cardinals) and Quincy Riley (Saints) earned First Team nods at corner, while Hairston joined Arizona’s Denzel Burke on the Second Team.
For Bills fans - and especially Kentucky fans tracking their NFL alumni - this rookie class has been a revelation. Between Walker anchoring the defensive front and Hairston flashing potential in the secondary, Buffalo may have landed two long-term building blocks on defense. And they’re just getting started.